Category Archives: seeking understanding

The Incarnation – when the second person of God took a human body like ours, yet not marred by sin, so that he would die for our sins – is what Christmas is all about.
To celebrate the holiday with lights, parties, and presents is fun and great. But, please don’t miss the actual celebration.

“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭19‬ ESV
He came out of love for His people.

Take comfort;
Have hope;
He is the solid bedrock that never changes, shifts, or cracks.

When everything seems like shifting sand or sand castles being washed away.

He is our foundation.

““For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” Malachi‬ ‭3‬:‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

““Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” Psalm‬ ‭46‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

You can’t change anyone.

Not me.

Not you.

But you can pray.

As you pray for me, God changes both your heart for me and, God willing, my heart toward you.

“Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord.” Psalm‬ ‭36‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

On this date, November 22, 1963, C. S. Lewis died.

He wrote a lot of letters, many of them answering the letters of others who wrote him to ask about question about the Christian life.

In one such answer to a Miss Bodle, who asked about prayer, he wrote this paragraph:

“Of course it is very difficult to keep God only before one for more than a few seconds. Our minds are in ruins before we bring them to Him & the rebuilding is gradual. It may help to practice concentration on other objects twice a week quite apart from one’s prayer: i.e. sit down looking at some physical object (say, a flower) and try for a few minutes to attend exclusively to it, quietly (never impatiently) rejecting the train of thought & imagination wh. keep starting up.”

Only a person who actually prays could write with such insight about prayer.

Only one who actually tries to pray would resonate with his description of the challenge of praying.

Note his last words: “…keep starting up.”

Yes, you will drift off, but when you realize it, start again, and keep starting up. In time when we keep practicing, we’ll keep getting better, until the day we stop, because, like he has been for 61 years, we will see the Lord face to face and we’ll no longer be distracted.

_______

Click here to read the letter in its entirety.